Heading to Gulf Shores next week. What are some good places to eat and family places to visit (kids are 2 and 4) in the area?
OT: Gulf Shores
- Thread starter starkvegasdawg
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Also, Cobalt in Orange Beach near the Caribe is pretty good food too.
The Original Oyster House is pretty slammed and isn't anything to write home about, but overall its about as good as you will get in GulfShores.
I have kids around that age, and taking them to places like The Track or Waterville is a total waste of money and are extremely overpriced. Go to the Beach, find a good pool, get the kids in bed by 7:00 and buy some seafood from Blaylock's and cook it up your self. Make sure you bring your liquor with you, because the prices on the beach for alcohol is ridiculous.
The Original Oyster House is pretty slammed and isn't anything to write home about, but overall its about as good as you will get in GulfShores.
I have kids around that age, and taking them to places like The Track or Waterville is a total waste of money and are extremely overpriced. Go to the Beach, find a good pool, get the kids in bed by 7:00 and buy some seafood from Blaylock's and cook it up your self. Make sure you bring your liquor with you, because the prices on the beach for alcohol is ridiculous.
but if one night you want to get away from the fried shrimp tourist crowd, drive up to Robertsdale and eat at Vitolli's Pizza. It is a local place that has great NY style pizza and very cold beer. It's not fancy and you want find the tourist atmosphere but it's worth the 25 minute drive up from the beach.
The Gulf Shores Zoo is a unique experience. It's really tiny but has a decent collection of animals. For the 2-5 year old crowd it's a great experience. The plus is that you can get REALLY close to the animals. Like 3 feet from a tiger that's just behind a chain-link fence. Our daughter likes it enough that we have a season pass.<div>
</div><div>For seafood you can't go wrong with Lartigue's. It's take-out only but it is some seriously good crab, shrimp, and crawfish. It's cash-only but they do have an ATM in the store (that charges a fee, of course).</div><div>Cobalt is decent. I'd rate it fairly high for Gulf coast restaurants. If you're staying at Caribe then it's a no-brainer to eat there at least once, otherwise it's a toss up.</div><div>And Wintzell's in Mobile is terrible. I don't know anybody here in Mobile that eats there. I think they were good 20 years ago and it's still the same people going back. Honestly though, I can't name a single seafood place in Mobile that I would call five-star outstanding. They are all about average. Some are more average than others and some have better atmosphere. Ed's Shed has outside seating with a deck over the bay, which is nice.</div><div>The Oyster House has average seafood. (the one in Mobile has a good salad bar though, I've never been to the one in GS)</div><div>Lulu's is fun. The food is about average but the atmosphere is fun and they have a massive sand area for the kids to play in. They usually have music. Their onion rings with jalapeño sauce are the best that I've ever had (ok, it's mostly about the sauce).</div><div>
</div><div>We spend a few days at Caribe every year with some friends. We've usually do pizza one night, Lartigue's one night, and eat at Cobalt another night. Then we usually just fly by the seat of our pants the other times. We hit the zoo either coming in or going out of town and also hit Lulu's on our way back to Mobile.</div>
</div><div>For seafood you can't go wrong with Lartigue's. It's take-out only but it is some seriously good crab, shrimp, and crawfish. It's cash-only but they do have an ATM in the store (that charges a fee, of course).</div><div>Cobalt is decent. I'd rate it fairly high for Gulf coast restaurants. If you're staying at Caribe then it's a no-brainer to eat there at least once, otherwise it's a toss up.</div><div>And Wintzell's in Mobile is terrible. I don't know anybody here in Mobile that eats there. I think they were good 20 years ago and it's still the same people going back. Honestly though, I can't name a single seafood place in Mobile that I would call five-star outstanding. They are all about average. Some are more average than others and some have better atmosphere. Ed's Shed has outside seating with a deck over the bay, which is nice.</div><div>The Oyster House has average seafood. (the one in Mobile has a good salad bar though, I've never been to the one in GS)</div><div>Lulu's is fun. The food is about average but the atmosphere is fun and they have a massive sand area for the kids to play in. They usually have music. Their onion rings with jalapeño sauce are the best that I've ever had (ok, it's mostly about the sauce).</div><div>
</div><div>We spend a few days at Caribe every year with some friends. We've usually do pizza one night, Lartigue's one night, and eat at Cobalt another night. Then we usually just fly by the seat of our pants the other times. We hit the zoo either coming in or going out of town and also hit Lulu's on our way back to Mobile.</div>
Think we are staying at the lighthouse are something like that. I had no input in the trip so not sure. I will have 2 teenage boys with me. Anywhere to go and eat and play around the lighthouse? Looking for not too expensive but enough food to feed the boys
King Neptune's in GS has good food but no atmosphere. Same for Doc's in Orange Beach. Most of better eating is in Orange Beach, i.e., Harbor Grill and Cosmos on Canal Road. Other's include Louisiana Lagniappe, Grazie's, and Franco's. Restuarants on the coast change with the tide, probably due to mgt & chefs.
2 teenage boys in gulf shores is easy. Wolf Bay Lodge in Orange Beach is a good idea, ok food and lots of it, decent price, and a salad bar. The Shrimp Basket will fill them up with all you can eat specials, but remember almost all of their seafood is imported (yuck). Hazel's is filthy, and probably imported,but the buffet can't be beaten if your filling up teenagers. The new Tacky Jacks over by LuLu's is very good, huge po-boys for lunch. LuLu's is an overpriced tourist trapand there poboy's suck compared to Tacky Jacks. I quit going there after her dumbass brother blamed the oil spill on Bush.Don't forget to stop at Lambert's in Foley if you really want to fill them up, try to get there at 10:30am so you don't have to wait. Cash only, country cooking, order your entree w sides and then they bring you a lot more, don't fill up on rolls, and save time for a nap. Oh one last thing, take them boys to Hooters!</p>
Rocco's pizza in Gulf Shores is great. The wife has already put in her order for Sea And Suds for lunch one day, its reasonable and she loves the steamed shrimp. The Tin Top between GS and Fairhope is a must for us, its a locals type place off the beaten path and the food is great. The original Wintzells in Fairhope is cool but haven't been there is a couple of years. As a Parrothead, LuLu's is a must for beer and appetizers. You never know, Jimmy and Mac have been known to walk through the back door with a guitar in there hands.
Cobalt is good, has a nice view, and a fish tank the kids will like to look at. Our favorite thing to do is get some steamed shrimp and a key lime pie at Perdido Bay Seafood (under the bridge over Lost Key). Hit a Publix for some good beer, enjoy a balcony evening. Then you can take the kids to the pool or sand crabbing at night. They'll usually have fresh shucked oysters in containers, too. Render the fat out of some bacon, wrap the oysters and broil. Fresh lump on Tuesdays and Fridays makes some good crab cakes. Just get the Old Bay mix, they should have it there. We use sour cream instead of mayo.
The best eating at the beach is done in your condo with something fresh you got from Perdido Bay Seafood. They always seem to have great snapper, and you might get lucky with a whole flounder you can score, jam with some lemon wedges, broil, and pick clean.
There's putt putt all over the place for the little ones, but they may be a little young still. Just go to one of those souvenir shops, get some sand castle stuff and pool toys and let them loose.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos will be at home next week, too. They just built a new park on the bay that is pretty sweet. Close to Palfox pier and Palafox St. which has some good places to eat. Try Hopjacks. Decent pizza joint with a beer selection that will make you weep. And you can get growlers to go. Yeah, you're staying in Gulf Shores, but in my opinion, going into Pensacola and enjoying the less crowded beaches in Perdido Key is the way to go. Enjoy the busy beaches with the kids, it'll be more fun for them, but sneak east for food and fun.
The best eating at the beach is done in your condo with something fresh you got from Perdido Bay Seafood. They always seem to have great snapper, and you might get lucky with a whole flounder you can score, jam with some lemon wedges, broil, and pick clean.
There's putt putt all over the place for the little ones, but they may be a little young still. Just go to one of those souvenir shops, get some sand castle stuff and pool toys and let them loose.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos will be at home next week, too. They just built a new park on the bay that is pretty sweet. Close to Palfox pier and Palafox St. which has some good places to eat. Try Hopjacks. Decent pizza joint with a beer selection that will make you weep. And you can get growlers to go. Yeah, you're staying in Gulf Shores, but in my opinion, going into Pensacola and enjoying the less crowded beaches in Perdido Key is the way to go. Enjoy the busy beaches with the kids, it'll be more fun for them, but sneak east for food and fun.
Here are some places my family likes in Gulf Shores/Orange beach area.
Entertainment:
The Gulf Coast Zoo: Do an animal encounter. I think right now you can play with a baby tiger (they have one or two availible most summers), or one of several other animals (we got to play with lemurs and a kangaroo.) http://www.alabamagulfcoastzoo.org/animal_encounters.html
Eat:
Orginal Oyster house is good, but normally has a long wait.
Kosmo's is good
Mikee's seafood is a dive, but always seems to have a great deal on shrimp. It is kid friendly and always seems to have several tables full of large families. It is a block behind Hooter's
Avoid:
Lulu's is horrible, slow service, bad food, overpriced
Entertainment:
The Gulf Coast Zoo: Do an animal encounter. I think right now you can play with a baby tiger (they have one or two availible most summers), or one of several other animals (we got to play with lemurs and a kangaroo.) http://www.alabamagulfcoastzoo.org/animal_encounters.html
Eat:
Orginal Oyster house is good, but normally has a long wait.
Kosmo's is good
Mikee's seafood is a dive, but always seems to have a great deal on shrimp. It is kid friendly and always seems to have several tables full of large families. It is a block behind Hooter's
Avoid:
Lulu's is horrible, slow service, bad food, overpriced
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